The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings fantasy golf players with course info, player history, and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $750K Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
The Field
This week’s Rocket Classic features another full field of more than 150 players, with Detroit Golf Club once again providing one of the best birdie-making opportunities on the PGA TOUR schedule. The tournament has become a favorite stop for DFS players thanks to its wide fairways, receptive greens, and consistently low winning scores.
The field is headlined by names like betting favorite Cameron Young (+960 DraftKings Sportsbook), Xander Schauffele, and Chris Gotterup. Young is fresh off a runner-up finish at The Open Championship, while Gotterup has developed into one of the TOUR’s breakout stars following multiple victories this season. Defending champion Aldrich Potgieter also returns after capturing his first PGA TOUR title here in 2025, proving once again that elite driving distance remains a major advantage at Detroit Golf Club.
Despite the large field, the cut remains the standard top 65 players and ties. With winning scores regularly pushing 20-under par or lower, golfers who can generate plenty of birdie opportunities are at a premium. As always, getting all 6-of-6 golfers through the cut will be critical for DraftKings success, making balanced roster construction especially appealing in this week’s loaded field.
The Course
Detroit Golf Club (North Course)—Detroit, Michigan
Par 72, 7,330 yards; Greens: Bentgrass/Poa Annua
The Rocket Mortgage Classic replaced the old Quicken Loans event that was always played out East around this time of the season. The new event has found its new home at the North Course at Detroit Golf Club, a revamped and revitalized Donald Ross-designed venue that has roots in Detroit as far back as 1916.
To prepare for hosting duties on the PGA TOUR, many holes at Detroit GC were altered, lengthened, or even moved. Some highlights of the reconfigured venue include a long par 5 which plays at 625 yards for the pros and a closing stretch of holes that includes a solid risk-reward par 5 (the 14th) with water guarding the green. Ultimately, even with the changes, this remains a very straightforward setup for players as the parkland setting (in the middle of Detroit) is very flat and offers clean lines to the flag on almost every hole — assuming you don’t miss the bigger fairways off the tee.
The venue played quite easily in its first season, as it produced the eighth-best scoring average on the PGA TOUR, with the field shooting an average of 70.113 for the week and the winner reaching 25-under-par. Some firmer greens in 2021 helped keep scoring higher that season, but the players had no trouble with the venue again in 2022, with the winner reaching 26-under-par, and a handful of names reaching 20-under or better.
The fairways and greens at Detroit GC rank out as easy to hit compared to the average PGA TOUR venue, and the overall average driving distance at this venue has been about 10 yards longer than at the average PGA TOUR stop. The driver will be a popular club this week, and big hitters (who don’t spray the ball too much) have benefited from this setup in the past, including last season when arguably the PGA’s longest driver (Aldrich Potgieter) won his first PGA TOUR event. While off-the-tee play isn’t necessarily the most important thing to focus on this week, multiple winners including Potgieter have now gained over 5.0 strokes off the tee during the week of their win. Cameron Davis (2024) and Rickie Fowler (2023) also gained over a stroke off the tee in their wins.
The benefits of power aside, this course also caters to those who can find range on the Poa greens and bring a solid enough iron game in to give themselves plenty of chances at birdies (and eagles). Nate Lashley proved that you don’t have to be a big hitter to find success in Detroit, as he rode a +9.1 putting week into his first PGA TOUR win in 2019, getting to 25-under par that season — despite ranking just 44th in driving distance and gaining less than a stroke off-the-tee. Lashley used superior iron play to give himself a ton of mid-to-short range putts that season, and other names like Troy Merritt and Kevin Kisner have found success at Detroit GC with a similar formula. Rickie Fowler himself gained 7.6 strokes on approach on his way to victory in 2023. However, if you’re targeting players with less distance off the tee, make sure they’re coming in with some decent form in proximity stats from 150+ yards. Fowler was one of the leaders in proximity from 150-175 and 200+ yards in the year of his win.
For fantasy players looking at possible correlations between this venue and others on the PGA TOUR, looking at results from other Donald Ross-designed venues may be something to note. Pinehurst No. 2, Plainview, East Lake, and Sedgefield (host of the upcoming Wyndham Championship) are all Ross designs.
2026 Weather Outlook: The forecast looks very favorable for scoring this week. Temperatures should sit in the low-to-mid 80s°F throughout the tournament, with light winds expected for most of the four days. Thursday and Friday both project to feature winds generally below 10 mph, creating ideal conditions for aggressive play at one of the PGA TOUR’s easiest venues.
There is a slight chance of showers late in the weekend, particularly on Saturday afternoon, but current forecasts suggest any rain will be scattered and shouldn’t have a major impact on play. If anything, a little moisture would keep the greens receptive and help maintain the low-scoring conditions Detroit Golf Club is known for.
Unlike some recent weeks, there doesn’t appear to be a meaningful weather draw advantage. With calm conditions expected for the opening two rounds, both Thursday morning and afternoon starters should see similar scoring opportunities. Unless the weekend forecast changes dramatically, weather shouldn’t be a major factor when building DFS lineups this week.
Last 5 winners
2025-Aldrich Potgieter (-22) (won in a five-hole playoff over Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk)
2024-Cameron Davis -18 (over 4 players at -17)
2023-Rickie Fowler -24 (in a playoff, over Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa)
2022-Tony Finau at 26-under (over Cameron Young, Taylor Pendrith, Patrick Cantlay 21-under)
2021-Cameron Davis at 18-under (over Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann playoff)
Winning Trends and Course Overview
2025 Winner: Aldrich Potgieter (-22, won in a five-hole playoff)
2025 lead-in form: T6-MC-MC-MC-T47
- SG: Off the Tee: +6.8
- SG: Approach: +5.9
- SG: Tee to Green: +12.4
- SG: Around the Green: +0.4
- SG: Putting: +2.5
- Bryson DeChambeau was in fine form when he came into this event in 2020, having racked up five top-10s in a row before breaking through for his win.
- Rickie Fowler was also trending well coming into this event. He’d reeled off three top 10s in four starts just prior, including a T5 at the US Open; an event he led going into the final round.
- It should be noted that in 2019 Nate Lashley didn’t carry much form into this event before breaking through here for a big week.
- Neither did Cameron Davis, who also had two MCs in his last five starts before winning in 2021 and 2024, so great recent results haven’t meant much to two of the past five winners. Davis also missed the cut at the US Open last season two weeks prior.
- While SG: Approach is always a metric to lean on, Potgieter, Finau, DeChambeau, and Davis were helped by their length off-the-tee and some superb on and around-the-green play. Davis gained 6.3 strokes putting and around-the-green combined in 2021, while Finau bested that mark by gaining 7.0 strokes putting and around-the-green.
Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds to win are one factor to consider when picking players (but not the only one, so be careful not to put too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
Wyndham Clark +1900 and $9,300
Comparables:
- Jackson Koivun +2300 and $9,400
- Si Woo Kim +1900 and $9,600
Nicolai Hojgaard +4200 and $8,300
Comparables:
- Ryan Gerard +4300 and $8,600
- Akshay Bhatia +4500 and $8,400
- Harris English +4500 and $8,500
All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.
HORSES FOR COURSES
1. Cameron Davis ($6,600; best finishes: win-2021, win-2024): Davis won this event back in 2021 and then survived another close finish down the stretch in 2024 to grab his second Rocket title. His form is woeful at the moment, but guess what? It was in 2024 at this point too. You have to boost his projections given the course.
2. Chris Kirk ($6,900; best finishes: T2- 2025, T12-2021, T14-2023): Kirk’s done well on Donald Ross’s designs in the past. He’s finished T21 or better at this event now in five of the past six seasons and nearly won the event last year, losing in a playoff to Aldrich Potgieter.
3. Rickie Fowler ($8,100; best finishes: Win-2023): Fowler won this event back in 2023 after coming off a huge US Open, where he finished T5. The American has slipped since his win here, but has finished top 35 in four of five appearances at this event and does offer some appeal in GPPs.
4. Tony Finau ($7,100; best finishes: win-2022): Finau won dominantly back in 2022. He’s enduring a terrible 2026 season to date but does profile well given the bigger fairways and emphasis on distance.
Recent Form
1. Cameron Young ($10,500; 2nd-T47): Young continues to be one of the hottest players on TOUR after finishing runner-up at The Open Championship. He’s now posted multiple victories this season and arrives in Detroit with plenty of confidence on a course that favors bombers, making him one of the clear favorites this week.
2. Chris Gotterup ($9,800; T18-T11-win): Gotterup has emerged as one of the breakout stars of 2026. Already a three-time winner this season, he combines elite driving distance with improving iron play, and has posted three top 20s in a row, including his third win at the Deere.
3. Si Woo Kim ($9,600; T6-T18-T16): Kim has quietly pieced together an excellent summer, highlighted by a T6 finish at The Open Championship where he briefly held the outright lead on Sunday. His all-around tee-to-green game continues to trend in the right direction.
4. Russell Henley ($9,200; T9-T12): Henley continues to pile up quality finishes thanks to his elite iron play and consistency. He started slow at the Open but his weekend form vaulted him into the Top 10. While Detroit Golf Club favors aggressive scoring, Henley has shown he can keep pace in birdie-fests.
5. Hideki Matsuyama ($9,000; T13-T11-T16): Matsuyama’s ball-striking has rounded into form just in time for the FedEx Cup stretch. He finished T3 last week in Minnesota after a solid Open Championship (T14). He’s a player to watch this week.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Big Field Punt plays:
Kevin Roy ($6,800) – see below
Austin Smotherman ($6,700): Smotherman is a consistent ball-striker who has the ability to go low on a very straightforward golf course like Detroit if his putter gets hot. He’s coming off a solid week in Minnesota and is a streaky sort of player who I wouldn’t hesitate betting on carrying some of that momentum over to this week’s expansive venue.
Aaron Wise ($6,400): Talent-wise, I would continue to bet on Wise at these levels, even after his missed cut last week. He showcased a very complete tee-to-green game in his breakout at the ISCO a few weeks ago (T3) and could certainly bounce back after some rest last weekend.
Core Plays:
Patrick Cantlay ($9,100) – see below
Davis Thompson ($7,700): Thompson won his only title at another low-scoring summer event and comes into this week off a great performance in Minnesota where he posted a third-round 63. At under 8k, he looks like a great upside target for tournaments.
Contrarian Click:
Brooks Koepka ($8,000): These are the sort of events Koepka needs to take advantage of as he tries to complete his comeback and find more consistent form. He managed two under par rounds his last time out at the Open, a good sign, and won’t likely be super popular given the big names in this field and the fact that he took last week off as well.
MY PICK: Patrick Cantlay ($9,100)
Cantlay’s become one of my favorite DFS targets this week. The American had a lousy start in Scotland, where he missed the cut but did post a 66 in Round 1 and tied for the lead after Thursday. He then rebounded with a respectable Open appearance in what were admittedly tough conditions, where he closed with a solid 68.
Cantlay’s struggled with consistency in some areas this year, but under the surface most of his stats seem fine. He’s still gaining big off the tee most weeks (29th OTT on the year) and has also produced excellent results at Detroit Golf Club over the years, including a runner-up finish in 2022 and multiple strong performances. While his win drought has stretched longer than many expected, he continues to rank among the TOUR’s best tee-to-green players and has four finishes of T17 or better in his last eight starts.
For DFS, Cantlay’s a player we’re used to seeing at closer to 10k in fields like the one we’re getting this week, and at just $9,100 offers some great upper-tier value and winning upside in this range, on a course he’s played well at in the past. If the putter cooperates for four rounds, he has every chance to finally add the Rocket Classic to his resume and, for betting, makes plenty of appeal as a DraftKings Sportsbook outright target where he’s currently +2300 to win.
MY SLEEPER: Kevin Roy ($6,800)
Roy has looked like a player ready to post a big week soon. He was T3 earlier this season in Myrtle Beach, where he just missed out on grabbing his first win, and a surprising T11 in Scotland, shooting a brilliant third round 65 in the process. He regressed in Corales but looked solid again in Minnesota, where he opened with a 65 and finished in T31, gaining over two strokes on approach and ranking 21st in driving distance.
Roy may not be an outright bomber, but he’s got solid distance and is consistent off the tee, which shows in the stats. He’s 10th in par 5 scoring on the year and is one of a handful of players who will really benefit from the course change this week, which features a shorter Par 72. His upside was on full display here last season when he opened with a course record 62 and finished inside the top 10, and now comes to this favorable setup with arguably a lot more confidence after a spring-summer where he’s excelled at unfamiliar venues he may have faltered at in the past
At his salary, he doesn’t need to contend for the title to pay off. A made cut with plenty of birdies—or a surprise top-20 finish—would make him one of the stronger GPP values in the field, but his upside this week may even surpass that benchmark. For betting, I love the long outright odds (+17000) on the DraftKings Sportsbook where he’s also a solid Top 10 and ties target (+930).
